Background: The lack of diversity within engineering degree programs and occupations has been an ongoing concern for decades. National engineering programs have placed a high priority on broadening participation in engineering and making the engineering culture more inclusive. Specifically, the cultivation of engineering students' inclusive…

Background: Engineering self-efficacy, or the belief in one's own capabilities to complete engineering tasks, has been shown to predict greater motivation, academic performance, and retention of engineering students. Investigating the types of experiences that influence engineering students' self-efficacy can reveal ways to support students in…

Background: The experiences of students and professionals with disabilities are routinely excluded from scholarly and policy debates about equity in engineering. Emergent research suggests that engineering is particularly ableist, yet systematic accounts of the possible exclusion and devaluation faced by engineers with disabilities are largely…

Background: Given the gendering of engineering roles and competencies, the evidence that the skills required for engineering management are widely referred to as social, and the fact that men engineers are stereotyped as more technical, and women as more social, it might be theorized that (a) those that occupy managerial (vs. technical) roles in…

Background: Recent advances in technology and computer simulation have expanded the use of virtual manipulatives in engineering education. However, especially in disciplines in which tactile concepts (e.g., force) are included, it has been claimed that learning could be compromised by substituting physical materials with computer simulations.…

Background: As a whole, the percentage of undergraduates pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has remained constant, a trend of particular concern in the field of engineering. One potential solution for increasing the number of students completing engineering degrees in postsecondary education (PSE),…

Background: Identifying as an engineer is essential for belonging and student success, yet the social context and professional norms make it more difficult for some students to establish an identity as an engineer. Purpose/Hypothesis: This study investigated whether first-generation college students' funds of knowledge supported their engineering…

Background: Students' recognition beliefs have emerged as one of the most important components of engineering role identity development for early-career undergraduate students. Recognition beliefs are students' perceptions of how meaningful others, such as peers, instructors, and family, see them as engineers. However, little work has investigated…

Background: Engineering practice is meant to advance the human condition, yet curricula do not appear to fully promote the human-centered philosophy of engineering in implementation. The educational system may inadvertently signal to students that engineering is a career choice better suited for those preferring to work with things rather than…

Background: Research shows that active pedagogies could play an important role in achieving more equitable outcomes for diverse groups of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Although flipped classes are a popular active methodology, there is a lack of high-quality studies assessing their impact in ecologically…

Background: There is a well-known gender disparity in the engineering field. Three of the most important factors related to the participation of women in engineering are differences in perceived societal relevance, technical self-efficacy, and tinkering self-efficacy. Purpose/Hypothesis: Soft robotics is a relatively new engineering application…

Background: Research on gender differences and practical initiatives to attract girls to engineering are often carried out at the macro level where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are aggregated into an entity called STEM. Purpose/Hypothesis: This article challenges the aggregated approach, analyzes gender differences among…

Background: Black women students in engineering higher education are underrepresented and often face barriers at the nexus of race, gender, and engineering. When seeking to improve student outcomes, universities often prioritize academic success and neglect psychological, social, and emotional well-being. Little is known about why and how Black…

Background: This study addresses gender differences in early career experiences in engineering by examining entry-level jobs of Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) graduates in Canada. Purpose/Hypotheses: The study explored how gender shapes entry into this male-dominated occupation in the context of the contemporary knowledge economy. I tested four…

Background: Given the importance of engineers to a nation's economy and potential innovation, it is imperative to encourage more students to consider engineering as a college major. Previous studies have identified a broad range of high school experiences and demographic factors associated with engineering major choice; however, these factors have…